Operation: Cranky Baby
by Mikiri's Revenge
Summary: When his team members go out on missions without him, Shiro has problems sleeping. Its down to Keith and Pidge to make sure Shiro sleeps. So Operation: Cranky Baby is born, have a nice rest Shiro.


Keith took one look at Shiro when Shiro stumbled onto the training deck and decided it was a sleepover day. Shiro looked exhausted like he hadn't been sleeping again, and with Lance and Hunk out on a mission it was entirely possible Shiro hadn't been sleeping. He decided to let Shiro train for a bit but Keith was definitely keeping an eye on him. Keith grabbed one of the coms Pidge had made on their second year in space and called her on it.

"Hey, Pidge, we've got a Code Cranky Baby." Keith mumbled into the com trying to look natural and not alert Shiro of the plan.

It took a few seconds but Pidge finally replied, "Code Cranky Baby? How bad? Like on a scale of no coffee to dealing with Slav to night terror flashbacks?"

Keith watched Shiro sluggishly dodge an attack from the gladiator, "He's acting closest to about dealing with Slav with no coffee."

"Oh yikes. I'll go set up the common room if you keep an eye on him?"

"You got it. Maybe a movie tonight?" Keith offered.

"Fantasia? He still hasn't stayed awake through the whole thing." Pidge's voice crackled slightly as she seemed to be shutting her work station down.

"Sounds like a plan. I gotta go Shiro's coming." Keith hissed before tucking the com into one of his belt pockets surreptitiously.

Shiro stood in front of where Keith was sitting, panting slightly, he fiddle with a glove staring at Keith, "You know I don't need a babysitter right?"

Keith snorted crossing his arms, "When I say it you ignore me. So when you say it, I'm gonna ignore you. With how sloppy some of your dodges just were, I say you need a babysitter."

Shiro huffed but relented, "Fine. How about being a sparring dummy instead of just lurking and watching?"

Keith grinned as he stood, "Works for me. In your condition you're going to regret that later!" Keith shifted into the ready position.

Shiro smirked and shifted into the ready position as well, "You say that but I think you'll be the one to regret it."

Half an hour, and three bouts later they both regretted it as they walked to their rooms to shower. As he approached his room, Keith turned and pointed at Shiro, "If you're not out of your room in an hour I'm coming in and getting you."

Shiro raised his hands in defeat, "Fine, fine. Same to you."

Keith showered and dried off quickly, doing some stretches to keep his muscles from tensing before changing into his most comfortable set of clothes he's taken out of Castle storage. Checking the watch Pidge had made to keep Earth time he noted Shiro still had half an hour left of in his room time so Keith called Pidge again. "How's set-up going?" Keith asked as through the com.

"Well," Pidge replied huffing slightly while working on something, "It would be easier if Hunk or Lance were back but it's going fine. I fished out all the good blankets and the spare cushions from where Coran has them stashed. I saw him by the way, he and Allura said it's a good day for this so we have the green light."

"Good." Keith replied grabbing some of his own blanket and his pillow, "I'll bring my room stuff down and then come back and grab Shiro. He'll be out of the shower then."

"How bad did you two beat each other up?" Pidge inquired as Keith made his way down to the common room.

Keith entered the common room before answering in person, "Not too bad. I got him in the ribs twice and knee once. He got me in the shoulder and back. Here, have some more nest materials. Should I go grab Hunk and Lance's stuff too?"

"Nah," Pidge gestured to the far end of the nest on the floor, "I already got it. I'm almost done with the tent top screen so go get Shiro and you guys can put it up."

"Got it! I'm going to go check on Shiro then, but he has fifteen minutes left." Keith headed out of the room.

Pidge called after him, "You know you're going to have to switch to space time eventually right?"

"Lies!" Keith called back before the door slid shut. The trip back to the rooms was easy and Keith let himself walk slowly back and enjoy the silence some. Silence was such a rare commodity even in space, even on a ship that only had seven people and four mice on it. Shiro still had 5 more minutes before Keith dragged him out by the time Keith got back to his room. Keith was tempted to go grab Shiro out anyways, but time limits were a thing he respected because Shiro needed time to himself as well.

Keith spent his last five minutes sitting in front of Shiro's door waiting. He leaned against the wall next to the door relaxing as best he could in the metal corridor, as close as he was to the door he could hear Shiro puttering around in his room. Right before Keith went to stand and knock, the door opened revealing Shiro in his pajamas. Shiro held out his human hand to Keith to help him stand, "Having fun sitting in front of my door and lurking?"

Keith grinned as Shiro pulled him up almost effortlessly, "Just wanted to make sure you didn't try to take off without me. I'm babysitting you remember?"

Shiro waved his free hand, "Yeah, yeah, I'm going to grab my blankets since I know where this is leading. You two aren't very sneaky you know."

Keith grinned back at him, "We weren't trying to be super sneaky, you knew the minute you ran into one of us looking like that," Keith waved his hands at Shiro's disheveled and tired appearance, "that this was going to happen. Allura even green lighted it. So deal, come relax and take a nap with us. I'd offer you food, but our choices with Hunk gone are goo, Coran's cooking, or our collective attempts at following Hunk's recipes without knowing exactly which ingredients he had."

Shiro made a face, "Yeah, goo sounds safest. Coran's food still isn't quite, uh, palatable for human consumption and, uh, I love you guys but we've all been banned from the kitchen for a reason."

Keith laughed as Shiro ducked back into his room to grab his pillow and blanket. They kept an easy banter all the way down to common room to drop off Shiro's blankets. Upon entering Keith noted Pidge had her computer hooked to the crystal powered projector she and Hunk had rigged up when the sleepovers had started happening. The blanket they used as a projector was still on the ground since even years later Pidge couldn't reach high enough to put it on the hooks Hunk and Coran had installed for it in the common room.

"About time you two got here." Pidge grumped, but there was a lightness in her voice that told them both it was all for show.

"Keith needed help getting off the floor outside my door." Shiro offered as an explanation jokingly.

"Yeah, me and my creaky old bones needed help standing. It's why I totally beat you in training. Me and my old bones." Keith replied dryly, his lips quirking up into a smile even though his voice stayed even.

"Yes, yes. Now, my minions, raise the screen! Then we shall go consume the goo." Pidge commanded, rising to her feet and gesturing dramatically reminding Keith of Lance.

With some snickering Keith and Shiro hung up the blanket screen, making sure it was stretched properly and not wrinkled. Once that was done Pidge grabbed both of their hands and dragged them down to the kitchen. Once they entered they noted Coran at what Hunk had designated as the stove.

Coran turned to look at them, a smile lighting up his face even as all three of the paladins stared nervously at the pot he had on the stove. "Ah, Numbers 2, 4, and 5. Are you here to try my new creation? I figured with Number 1 gone it was up to me to feed the rest of you!"

Shiro swallowed nervously, he cast a glance back to Keith, who looked terrified, and Pidge who looked alarmed, he eventually stepped forward, hands raised like he was surrendering, "I think we were planning on having goo tonight Coran."

Coran pouted and turned further away from the pot on the stove, "But Number 2, my food is just as good as Number 1's. Since Hunk is out I can feed you all! It is part of my job as Royal Advisor to make sure you paladins are cared for, and feeding is part of caring."

Shiro hummed anxiously, trying to figure out how to phrase the problem diplomatically before Keith or Pidge decided to butt in, "While we appreciate that, human taste buds and Altean taste buds seem to be very different, so what is good for you might not be good for us. We've told you that before."

Coran's pout got deeper, "But, Shiro, if you don't try it how will you know if it is bad for you?"

Shiro's excuse came from the pot that Coran was ignoring, "Ah, Coran, the pot is boiling over. You can't expect us to eat it now can you?"

Coran grumbled as he yanked the pot off the burner equivalent, "This is unfortunate. I guess I will just have to try this recipe again tomorrow. I guess we're all having goo today." Coran then wandered to the cabinets and grabbed plates for everyone in the castle. Coran operated the goo hose with great finesse. He then took two of the plates for himself and Allura and left the room, in the doorway he called back to the three paladins, "Have a good sleepover Paladins."

There was a short silence, then Keith finally spoke up "Is it bad that I hope they get back way early and Hunk is here to make dinner tomorrow."

Shiro and Pidge shook their heads and spoke in unison, "No, me too."

"Glad we're all on the same page."

The three grabbed their plates of goo and spoons, and retreated back to the common room. As they settled into the nest of blanket Pidge grabbed her computer to figure out the first movie of the night.

"So movie for dinner, and then movie for Shiro. Keith and I have decided the second, so Shiro, what do you want to watch during dinner?" Pidge asked clicking around on her computer with one hand a spoonful of goo in the other.

Shiro hummed around a bite of goo thoughtfully, "How about that one-" he gulped down the goo, "-the one with the aliens and the map, and the boy who reminds me of Keith?"

Pidge froze, spoonful of goo still in the air, a grin spreading across her face, "You mean Treasure Planet? The old Disney classic?"

Shiro tapped his spoon on his plate, "Yeah, I think that's the name. Do you have it?"

Pidge scoffed and shoved her spoon in her mouth, "Of course I do. Alrighty then, Treasure Planet coming right up. Have you seen it Keith?"

Keith looked up from his plate, most of his goo already eaten, "No," he swallowed his bite hastily, "never had the chance. No TV in the desert and none of my foster parents ever had movies that old."

Shiro frowned, "That's unfortunate. But you'll like, Jim? I think his name is Jim. He reminds me of you. Or some weird demented combination of you and Lance. It's been awhile since I last saw it, I dunno. The interpretation of aliens and space is pretty interesting to. Now come lean up against me and slow down your eating. You don't need to protect your plate from us remember."

Keith scoffed, but followed Shiro's directions, taking his plate and curling up into Shiro's side. He over exaggerated slowly taking a bite and chewing and swallowing it to make Shiro happy. Shiro just pet Keith's hair in an effort to calm him and turned to Pidge, "We're ready if you are."

Pidge held up a finger fiddling with her computer with one hand to select the movie. She hit play, grabbed her plate and scurried over to curl up on Shiro's other side. They waited through the typical Disney intro, and a deep voice began to narrate. Shiro knew the minute Keith's full attention was absorbed into the movie by the complete lack of movement to finish his plate, and Shiro knew why. The flying Jim was doing reminded Keith of his own hoverbike, and he knew the one thing that Keith missed most about Earth was that hoverbike and the freedom it represented. Pidge snickered when Jim had been arrested, whispering just loud enough to be heard, "Seem familiar to anyone?"

Keith was so absorbed he didn't seem to notice, Shiro grinned back, "I can't imagine who this reminds you of."

Keith turned to look at Pidge across Shiro's body, "Well, from the stories I've heard, Dilbert might as well be your dad. So me and your dad are going on an adventure." Keith humphed, leaning back into Shiro and tuning them back out.

Pidge grinned at Shiro, "Crashing a dying ship into a caring person's yard sound familiar?"

Shiro rolled his eyes, "No, of course not. Are you implying I'm a pirate?"

"Implying is a bit strong…. Nah, I'm telling you."

Keith glared at the pair, "Shhhhh. I'm watching the movie!"

When the map unlocked, Keith's breath caught, but when Jim's mom told them it was all lies, Keith slumped into Shiro again. The spaceport got all three of them to utter a small sound of appreciation, "Are you sure this is an old movie?" Keith breathed.

"Yeah, I'm sure, but it's great isn't it?" Shiro replied equally reverent. The rest of the movie passed with similar comments, though when the Cyborg and Jim became close Keith muttered, "If Zarkon is the equivalent of the cyborg, I know this'll never happen. Nothing can make him act like a decent being with feelings."

Pidge snorted, shifting around so her feet were on top of Shiro's knee and massaging his leg with her toes thoughtfully, "Nothing could make Zarkon have positive feelings no. But I'm glad we'll never have to worry about you trying to convince him he can be a decent being."

Shiro leaned back into the pile of pillows between him and the couch, causing Keith and Pidge to lean with him, as he replied, "As amusing as the thought of Zarkon being a cook on a ship is, it would never happen."

There was a pause, the movie continuing but all three paladins not quite following it as the image of Zarkon wearing an apron was all they could think about. The group dissolved into almost hysterical laughter even as drama was happening on screen.

Pidge, gasping for breath commented, "Imagine Zarkon with Morph!" All three burst into laughter, grasping each other to stay upright.

Keith got his breath back first, "We would have to save it first. Hmmmm, do you think that Haggar would count as Scroop? The red spider, crab, thingy. Devious, plotting, doesn't get distracted by sentiment, actually tries to kill you. Sounds like Haggar to me."

Pidge leaned back, still gasping for air slightly, "It really does. I wonder if we can recast all the bad guys as people we fought?"

Shiro nudged each of them with his elbow, "While we probably could, we should probably just enjoy the movie, and you know, finish our goo."

Pidge made a face, but started eating her food again. Keith was less successful, eyes fixated on the screen as the escape from the treasure planet began. Shiro could feel him tensing the entire time Jim's engine was out, and Keith didn't relax until the movie was over. As the credits rolled, Shiro watched as Keith seemed to come back to the present and downed the rest of the goo he had been distractedly eating.

When the screen faded to black, Shiro asked, "So, think I picked well?"

Keith nodded around a spoon of goo and Pidge wiggled slightly into a better position before replying, "Yeah, it was nice. I forgot I had it honestly, Matt really used to like this and Atlantis."

Shiro leaned his head on hers, "I know, I remember. When he was really stressed he would do something like this in our dorm and watch old Disney movies and cry into a tub of ice cream. First time he did it, I thought he'd gotten broken up with but no, just finals stress."

Pidge leaned back into Shiro, "Oh my god, did he really? I'm going to hold that over his head forever."

Keith, finally done with his food, prodded Pidge, "Time to clean up and then the other movie remember." He didn't look happy to move either, but sleepover night was for a reason.

"Right." Pidge reluctantly escaped the space she had curled into Shiro, as Keith did the same on the other side. Shiro shivered slightly from the sudden removal of body heat, but Pidge and Keith both gave an arm to help pull him up. Shiro let himself be pulled up, secretly taking amusement in the faces the pair made since he weighed more than he knew either of them could lift with one hand. Shiro grabbed his plate and followed Pidge and Keith back to the kitchen, enjoying the together feeling.

After they dropped the plates off into the dishwasher type device, Shiro finally asked, "So what is this other movie you two picked out that you won't tell me."

"Well," Pidge started as she led the way back, "We thought it would be nice to find something musical to watch."

Shiro face palmed, "You guys didn't chose like, something Lance would pick like High School Musical or something right?"

Keith looked confused, "Is that a movie?"

Shiro sighed in relief, "I'll take that as a no then." He stared at Pidge who had turned to walk backwards with a smirk on her face.

"That is indeed a no. We picked something far more classic. Parts of it from way back 1940s." Pidge explained. Keith moved his hands around in front of him to help her navigate the corridor. Shiro smiled at the show of trust between the pair.

"1940s? That's… really old Pidge. What movie do you have from the 1940s? That movie is older than all of us humans on the Castle combined." Shiro asked as the reached common room.

"Well," Pidge turned around and led the way into the room, "only part of it is from 1940, then part is from 2000, and then the rest is from 2080."

Shiro thought about it for a while as they settled into the blanket nest, "Pidge, you have the most recent Fantasia? The one with all the parts? I've never seen all of it before."

Keith pulled one of the blankets up over his shoulders as he leaned into Shiro, "I haven't seen it either, but it looked nice, and Pidge played me some clips that sounded nice, so we decided this one would be good."

Pidge fiddled with her computer some more with one hand as she gathered a couple pillows and some blankets for actually attempting to sleep nesting with the other, "Alright? Are we ready for this? Good old fashioned hand drawn animation and really cool orchestral music?"

Keith and Shiro distributed some of the pillows and forced them into a comfortable leaning back position. Once Shiro approved of the pile he gave Pidge a thumbs up, "We're ready if you are."

"Good, starting the movie now." Pidge pressed play and scurried back into the nest of blankets. The dramatic music started with the screen showing the back of the conductor, as the music built colors lite the screen and abstract effects started to occur. By the time the first song was over and the Nutcracker Suite began, Keith was yawning heavily and watching the movie through hooded eyes.

The yawning was contagious, and by the end of the Nutcracker Suite, Keith was asleep and Shiro was dozing with his head resting on top of Keith's. Pidge was the most awake but even she was feeling the pull. At some point while watching the brooms march around the screen Shiro fell asleep and was snoring slightly. By the middle of Rite of Spring, Pidge had also lost the fight with sleep and passed out on Shiro's other side.

The movie continued unheeding of the fact that its audience was sound asleep. The pile of pillows lost shape as the trio moved slightly while they slept, turning more into a nest for sleeping instead of a nest to watch a movie. Eventually during the transition between Pomp and Circumstance and the Firebird Suite, the door opened allowing the two other Paladins entrance.

Lance and Hunk had gotten back from their mission surprisingly early, and were unsurprised when they went to get ready for bed that all of their bedding was missing. Lance changed into pajamas quickly and met Hunk back in the hall, "Your stuff gone too?"

Hunk nodded, "I guess Shiro was having problems. Time to go see what movie they picked and join in?"

Lance grinned and led the way, "Of course, maybe they picked something cool, like High School Musical." Lance started singing part of one of the songs, "We're all in this together."

Hunk gave Lance a look and cut him off, "I don't think anyone would pick that except you buddy."

Lance sighed, "True, I'm not sure why though. It's a classic." The door to the common room opened and let the pair inside. The movie showed an ice covered mountain and Hunk recognized the music.

"Firebird Suite? I think they're watching Fantasia." Hunk whispered as he navigated around the couches into the nest behind Keith, "Aw, they were. They're all asleep now, even Shiro."

Lance yawned and settled in behind Pidge, "I can see why, the music is nice and the art is good, but something just makes me tired. I think I'm out too, night buddy."

"Night, Lance." Hunk whispered back and settled in, curling into Keith's back as he watched the firebird's anger at being awoken. Eventually the body heat and peacefulness of the nest drew him in as well as the next song began.

* * *

To anyone who's read my other stuff, yes Lance like HSM is a ref to Memeducation. Also, do you know how hard it is to try to watch parts of Fantasia when all of its puts you to sleep? its hard.

Anyways, this is a gift fic for championoflosers on Tumblr. Happy Late Birthday Lee!

Come scream at me on Tumblr mikiri


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